Tachibana went to sleep. Densetsu and I are keeping the fire going. The wind is quite strong outside. While blowing, rubbing against the walls of the cave it's making a deafening hum. It feels scary from time to time. Like something will burge right in and take my precious memories away in a snatch along with the ones I love.
"You seem weirdly dense.", Densetsu says.
"Was that a pun?", I smile.
"Huh?... I guess it was."
"Feels so weird.", I say
"Doesn't it?", Densetsu looks at the ceiling.
"Why is it weird for you?", I ask.
"Constant sorrow, yet sparkles of joy here and there."
"You are happy.", I say.
"No one is bruh.", The smile on his face changes color. From being a jolly white to a pale white
"Shut up.", I try to laugh, "You are with the one you love, even having a kid. What could even be your sorrow?"
"Don't even think for once you are the only one who lost her, we lost a friend too. Not only friend. Have you ever thought of Alex in the past few years?", Densetsu says in a calm voice.
A sudden sign of guilt covers my face.
"That's a no I take it."
I say nothing.
"Human are selfish beings. We only think of the best for us and the people that matters. We might spend wealth after many but not an ounce of sorrow even for our friends at times.", He scrathes his beard.
He suddenly looks like someone who grew overnight. Wasn't it just yesterday he got spanked by Aiko? Boy, does time fly?
"Do you still have hope?", Densetsu says.
He said it without context but it's clear as day what he meant. However, I don't reply.
"So, you are not sure I take it?", He says.
I still don't say a thing.
"You remember the day when Tachibana didn't show up by the river? Remember how I thought she is a traitor? How I thought she is fake?"
I nod.
Looking at the fire, "I still regret thinking those. I never got to say sorry to her."
"I know.", I say.
"I shouldn't say 'never got to', I just didn't. I felt too ashamed, too bothered to even bring it up, cuz I knew she would be mad at me, not for I thought she is a traitor, but because I was hesitant to talk to her about it."
"Well, it only gets worse.", I say.
"So you have experience too I take it."
"Regrets? Yes, that I do have. If only I was stronger that day.", I sigh.
"Weren't you?", Densetsu looks at me while his eyebrows rose.
I don't understand what to say, so I keep looking at him.
"You saying these now won't change a thing in the past. You tried the amount which you thought was enough or necessary. Don't even think for a moment you were weak. That'll be disgraceful to Aiko.", He says.
I feel both encouraged and ashamed hearing that.
"You should go to sleep now.", I say out of the blue.
"Won't you be lonely?", He asks.
"You don't have to think about that.", I say.
"I don't feel like sleeping, I think I'll stay.", He says looking out through the cave mouth.